Hartford Foundation Board Names New Officers for Centennial Year

UCONN-Hartford Dean and Chief Administrative Officer Mark Overmyer-Velázquez to serve as new board chair

Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez has been elected to serve as chair of the volunteer Board of Directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving – the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region that’s celebrating its 100^th year in 2025. He succeeds Andrew Worthington, who recently completed a two-year term as chair. 

Dr. Overmyer-Velázquez, who was appointed to the Board in 2019, is the inaugural Dean and Chief Administrative Officer of the University of Connecticut-Hartford. He serves and supports UConn Hartford’s students, staff, faculty, and the communities in which they live by advocating for education as the practice of equity and justice. The founding Director of UConn’s El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean & Latin American Studies, Dr. Overmyer-Velázquez has his dedicated scholarship and teaching to building intellectual bridges– between historical fields, across the North-South divide, and between the past and the present. He lives in West Hartford and is the parent of three children with his wife, Jordanna Hertz. 

“The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is a testament to the power of community,” said Overmyer-Velázquez. “Together, we are supporting Greater Hartford by fostering equity and creating opportunities for communities to overcome obstacles and thrive. It is an honor to work alongside my board colleagues and Foundation staff to support this work and to witness the positive impact generosity and collaboration can achieve."

In other board appointments, Marlene Ibsen was elected vice chair, Beatriz Gutierrez, was elected Treasurer.

Ibsen, who was appointed to the board in 2017,  is Vice President of Community Relations at Travelers and also serves as CEO and President of the Travelers Foundation. She currently serves on the Foundation’s Audit and HFPG Impact! committees. 

Gutierrez is President and CEO, CONNSTEP, Inc., Connecticut’s leading manufacturing consulting firm. She was appointed to the Board in 2022 and serves on the Foundation’s Finance and Policy and Strategy committees. 

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns. Through partnerships, the Foundation seeks to strengthen communities in Greater Hartford by putting philanthropy in action to dismantle structural racism and achieve equity in social and economic mobility. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $1 billion since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.